Is Coca-Cola's Diversification Into Energy Drinks Gaining Traction?

The Coca-Cola Company’s KO push into the energy drink category is starting to yield results, although it is a gradual build. While the second-quarter 2025 earnings call did not shine the spotlight on energy drinks directly, the company’s emphasis on its diversified portfolio, including BODYARMOR and Powerade, signals strategic momentum. Both brands registered volume growth in the second quarter, contributing to Coca-Cola’s broader objective of gaining value share for the 17th consecutive quarter. This reflects consumer receptiveness to Coca-Cola's expanding non-soda offerings.

The company’s innovation agenda also plays a key role. The latest launches, such as Sprite+Tea, though not energy drinks, highlight Coca-Cola's agility in crafting hybrid beverages that tap into evolving tastes for functionality and flavor. This strategy complements its efforts in premium stills and sports hydration — segments that overlap with consumer needs — in the energy category. The company’s all-weather approach and accelerated marketing execution have further enhanced visibility and consumer traction for its broader beverage lineup.

While Coca-Cola has not yet disrupted the energy drink market on the scale of leaders like Monster Beverage Corporation MNST or Red Bull, its existing brand power, distribution strength and innovation pipeline suggest it is in for the long game. If current execution trends continue, Coca-Cola’s diversification into energy beverages may shift from incremental gain to a more commanding presence in the next few quarters.

The Rivalry in Energy Drinks Strengthens: Can PEP & MNST Keep Up?

As Coca-Cola steadily expands its footprint in the energy drink market, all eyes are on PepsiCo Inc. PEP and Monster Beverage to see if they can keep pace in this increasingly competitive and fast-evolving segment.

PepsiCo is intensifying its energy drink strategy with bold moves like acquiring Poppi, a fast-growing prebiotic soda brand, and expanding Sting’s global visibility through a multi-year Formula 1 partnership. Gatorade remains central to its sports hydration portfolio, while Propel drives strong growth in functional drinks. With continued investments in zero-sugar, performance beverages and away-from-home channels, PepsiCo is positioning itself for sustained growth in the fast-evolving energy and wellness drink segment.

Monster Beverage continues to dominate the energy drink space with a diverse portfolio that includes Monster Energy, Reign Total Body Fuel, Reign Storm, Bang Energy, Predator and Fury. In first-quarter 2025, the company expanded globally with product launches like Monster Ultra Blue Hawaiian and continues to lead in market share across several countries. Monster is also ramping up innovation and expanding affordable brands internationally, positioning itself for global growth and consumer reach.

The Zacks Rundown for Coca-Cola

KO shares have risen 10.4% year to date compared with the industry’s growth of 5.3%.

From a valuation standpoint, Coca-Cola trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 22.04X, significantly higher than the industry’s 17.64X.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for KO’s 2025 and 2026 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 3.1% and 8.3%, respectively. Earnings estimates for 2025 have been unchanged in the past 30 days.

Coca-Cola currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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